Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 11, for Vintage’s third annual “Pop a Squat for CHAIR-ity” event.

The entire block of Main Street, between Liberty to Wauponsee streets, in downtown Morris will be closed for an all-day block party to benefit a very special young woman.

But to prepare for the event, Vintage owner Cassie Van Tassel needs donated chairs to be auctioned. All styles, shapes, and colors of chairs and “pretty much anything you can sit on” are needed. Van Tassel wants those that are “gently used but still fabulous.”

“Whether it’s an old armchair with a romantic flair, an offbeat bench that’s no longer needed, or an old recliner or rocker that you’ve been needing to get rid of,” she said, “these chairs will be truly fit for a king or a queen, because they will help raise funds for Addison Locke, a brave first grader fighting cancer.”

Van Tassel and her crew will fix up the chairs if need be, painting or covering them. She doesn’t want huge sectionals, though, or furniture that is too worn or needs to be reupholstered.

A few have already been donated. She has several rocking chairs, old chairs re-made into planters, a bench made from an old bed, and antique chairs. There will be shabby chic, antique, kids’ chairs, Parson chairs, and even a 1950s Hollywood glam chair.

The annual charity event is Van Tassel’s way of celebrating the anniversary of opening Vintage, together with raising money for a good cause. Each year, she chooses a different recipient. One hundred percent of the money brought in will go to the beneficiary.

Van Tassel said Addison Locke is an 8-year-old girl who has both liver and lung cancers. She lives in Joliet and cheerleads in Channahon. She’s already had a liver transplant, at her young age, Van Tassel said.

“She loves ladybugs and cheerleading,” she said of Addison.

Van Tassel said Vintage has experienced an outpouring of support from the community in its four years in Morris, and this is a way to honor that and to give back. She said she has already received approval to close down that block of Main Street for the event, which will host a band, makeovers for donations, a massage chair for donations, homemade goodies like ladybug cupcakes, and lots of raffle items.

It’s the same day as a Three French Hens Country Market, so people can come out and make a day of it, she said, placing bids on chairs, listening to some good music, visiting the market, coming back to check on their bids, and shopping and having a bite to eat in town.

Several downtown businesses have pledged a percentage of their sales to the fundraiser on that day, including Still Stylin’, EnJoi!, Apple Butter, Whimsy, Blackbird’s Bowl, the Antique Emporium, and more.

Vintage is a home décor store with items for sale by Van Tassel, and other sections of the store rented out by various local artists and designers. Items are an eclectic mix of new and used, handcrafted, up-cycled and recycled, according to the owner.

For more information on the event or to donate chairs or raffle items, call Van Tassel at (815) 513-5670.

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